Shaken
by momac
Summary: A trip down memory lane takes an unexpected turn when events conspire to prove that Captain + Away Team = Trouble


Disclaimer – Sorry folks I'm sure we all know this bit off by heart. I own nothing; Paramount owns everything except the words on this page. I am making absolutely no money from this and still I spend hours slaving over it … hmmm now why does that equation not add up!

Summary – A trip down memory lane takes an unexpected turn, proving once and for all that captain + away team = trouble…

Rating – J/C General

Shaken

  * Momac 2000

The storm inched its way towards them, spreading its icy tendrils from one horizon to another in a determined bid for world domination. Sensor readings had indicated a window of 3 hours before the storm hit … 3 precious hours in which to accurately locate the deposits of Dilithium that the long-range scans insisted were hidden within the core of this desolate planetoid. They had barely used up a third of their allotted time and already the storm was nipping at their heels.

  


The changes were so subtle that she wasn't aware of the danger until it was almost too late. When she finally tore her gaze away from the abyss at her feet it was to find that the clear skies that had greeted them on arrival had been replaced by a suffocating blanket of white. A sudden blast of wind tore at her clothing, stealing her breath and filling her head with memories she had spent long years trying to suppress.

  


She had been here before … her spirit rebelled at the familiarity of it all. Snatches of conversation played out in her head; the sound of Justin's laughter, the warmth of his hand brushing her thigh as he reached past her to adjust the port thrusters, the quiet confidence in her fathers voice as he gave the order to execute the maneuver that ultimately claimed their lives. Bile rose in her throat as one image after another forced itself upon her. Swallowing convulsively she fought back. She had barely scratched at the surface of her memories and already she was falling victim to the agony of helplessness she remembered so well. This had to end, and it had to end now…

  


Instinctively her hand contracted around the object nestled within the confines of her glove, the tortured metal cutting into the soft tissue of her palm. She knew she'd drawn blood but she welcomed the pain, using it to focus her mind on the task ahead. Peeling off her glove she looked down at the battered object … the last remaining physical link she had with Justin.

  


One of the rescue teams sent to recover the bodies had found it lying among some wreckage. It was barely recognisable, the metal deformed by the force of the explosion, but she had clung to it for months afterwards … tangible proof of her loss. But time waits for no one. The years had slipped by and she had survived, the pain slowly receding until all that remained was the guilt. And now it was time to lower the last barrier and let the past fly free.

  


Smiling sadly she pictured his face as she raised the comm.badge to her lips and gently kissed it. Indecision flared bright for a heartbeat before dying back. She had spent too many years a prisoner of her memories … today was truly the first day of the rest of her life. Her decision made she drew her arm back and pitched the badge far out across the ice-flow. The storm clouds relented for a moment, allowing the weak rays of the sun to dance across its surface as it sailed through the air in a gentle arc before sinking slowly back into the ice where it belonged.

  


She had barely time to whisper goodbye when a powerful gust of wind grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her contemptuously to the ground.

  


'Captain!'

  


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Strong hands reached for her, lifting her back onto her feet … staying there however was another thing altogether. Struggling against the prevailing wind Kathryn Janeway signaled her thanks to the young ensign who had come to her aid. Speech was well nigh impossible while the leading edge of the storm raced screaming towards them, forcing her to resort to hand signals.

  


Ensign Kim nodded his understanding, his guilt at interrupting what had obviously been a deeply personal moment fading as the extent of their predicament became clear. Reaching down for his hastily abandoned equipment he turned and followed his commanding officer back towards the transport site.

  


'Captain … Ensign Kim!' Tuvok's voice battled against the howling wind. 'It would appear 7 of 9's assessment of both the severity of the weather conditions and our window of opportunity was inaccurate. Sensor readings indicate that the storm's leading edge will be upon us in a matter of moments.'

  


'Am I right in assuming that communications are down?'

  


Tuvok merely inclined his head in acknowledgement of what was in essence a rhetorical question. Both officers knew that they would not be there now if the transporters were functional. Kathryn sighed quietly, anxious not to let her concern show. It was becoming increasingly obvious that if they were to survive long enough for communication to be restored they needed shelter, and they needed it now. A fresh cup of coffee and a long soak in a hot bath wouldn't go amiss either but beggars cant be choosers … right now she would settle for a hole in the ground if it provided shelter from the cold.

  


As if on cue a gloved hand tapped her on the shoulder, directing her gaze to a series of dark openings along a nearby cliff face.

  


'Well spotted Mr. Paris.'

  


Tom Paris grinned at her from behind the protective layers of his starfleet issue snowsuit secure in the knowledge that she couldn't see him. He was cold and wet and stuck on an ice cube in a far-flung sector of the galaxy. By rights he should be depressed as hell but nothing could be further from the case. Not only had he earned the love of a good woman and occasionally the respect of his commanding officer … but he had also just relieved a certain crewmember of a sizeable quantity of replicator rations.

  


He chuckled as he recalled the conversation he'd had with Harry earlier that day after B'Elanna had leaked the news to them that the Captain had somehow managed to persuade Chakotay to allow her to join the away team. Tom still looked on his friend as the baby of the crew and felt that it was his duty to keep him abreast of certain indisputable facts… one of which had been 'The Equation' (commanding officer + away team = trouble). Harry had risen to the bait wonderfully and had bet a full weeks worth of rations in defense of his captains honour …poor deluded Harry!

  


Tuvok wasted no time in propelling the group towards their goal, however the deteriorating weather conditions, combined with 6 inches of freshly fallen snow made for slow progress. It seemed to take the small group an eternity to reach the shadows of the cliffs …

  


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Kathryn's attention was focused on the tricorder in her hand as she tried to determine which opening offered maximum protection with minimum risk when it happened. One minute she was moving slowly forward … the next she found herself lying on the ground, struggling to catch her breath.

  


'What the hell was that?'

  


Anger warred with embarrassment as she struggled to regain her feet. She should have known something like this would happen. Just for once Why couldn't they beam down to a nice, hospitable planet, retrieve the Dilithium and be on their way. But no … that would be just too easy. Not for the first time she found herself wondering just what it was she had done in a previous incarnation to deserve all this.

  


Her musings were cut short by Tuvok's arrival at her side. Having determined that she had sustained no serious injuries he turned his attention to his tricorder, scanning the area directly in front of them.

  


His concentration was shattered by the sound of snow impacting on something solid! Kathryn turned and saw Tom grinning at her from ear to ear. In his hand was a carefully moulded ball of snow, which he proceeded to hurl at the offending barrier. The snowball had traversed less than a hundred yards before sharing the fate of its predecessor.

  


'Its some kind of barrier … doesn't register on the scans but if I didn't know better … well … it sounds like glass!'

  


The Captain was about to reply when the earth beneath her feet started to rock violently, throwing everyone to the ground. Snow filled the air, raining down on them until they were almost completely covered. Kathryn tried to prop herself up but was unable to get a grip, her arm twisting painfully under her. Despite the noise she couldn't mistake the sounds of the bone breaking. The only advantage of being this cold was that she felt little pain … yet!

  


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'Can't is not a word I want to hear Lieutenant…we need our people out of there NOW!'

  


Chakotay stood in the centre of the bridge firing orders in all directions as they attempted to locate the missing away team. There had been no warning, no indication that the planetoid was so geographically unsound.

  


'Damn it Kathryn, I'm not sure how much more of this my blood pressure can take!'

  


His whispered comment went unheard by the bridge crew but it was almost impossible to ignore the concern that radiated out from the normally implacable first officer.

  


'Just hang in there Kathryn…'

  


'Commander…we're reading another buildup of tectonic pressure. The entire continent has destabilized!'

  


Chakotay flung himself back into the Captain's chair unable to do anything but sit and wait for nature to take its course…

  


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It took a well placed jab with an elbow to finally convince Tom that the mass he'd landed on was more than just a particularly dense clump of snow. Muttering apologies he struggled to roll himself clear, which was no easy task given the volatile nature of the ground beneath him.

  


'Sorry Harry … didn't see you there.'

  


'Obviously!'

  


'You ok?'

  


'What do you think?'

  


Satisfied that no-one who sounded that annoyed could be seriously injured Tom turned his thoughts back to more pressing matters, like trying to work out which way was up!

  


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The child watched the snowflakes fall with rapt fascination. Every now and then he gave the dome another shake, encouraging the swirling snow to dance for him.

  


'Q … what are you doing?'

  


His fathers voice startled the child and he dropped the dome, watching helplessly as it rolled in ever decreasing circles until it came to rest at his fathers feet.

  


'Leave the boy Q … he's only playing.'

  


A woman's voice floated up to them, amusement lacing her tone.

  


Curious, Q picked up the trinket that had managed to keep the child engrossed for so long. He stared at it for a moment, waiting for the snow to settle…it was only then that he noticed the tiny figures stretched out on the snow. One figure in particular caught his attention.

  


'I was only playing with Auntie Kathy … Mum said I could!'

  


Q turned to look at his mate, one impeccable eyebrow raised.

  


'Well, you wouldn't let him have a dog … this seemed like the next best thing.' She paused for a moment, an unreadable expression in her eyes. 'You don't have a problem with that…do you?'

  


'No, not at all … I just wish he would find his own toys to play with.' He flinched as she graced him with a look that suggested this topic of conversation was far from over.

  


Dismissing her with a wave of his hand he turned and frowned down at his son.

  


'No one gets to play with Auntie Kathy but me … remember that in future. Now why don't you go help your mother ruin some other poor fool's life.'

  


He watched the boy run out, maintaining the frown until he was sure he was alone. A devilish grin crossed his features as his gaze fell once more on the dome and in particular the woman who was attempting to climb to her feet. He couldn't help himself … never one to deny an impulse he gave the dome a little shake, just enough to throw her onto her back. The sight of her lying there, arms spread wide reminded him of their oh so brief encounter … and the grin grew wider still.

  


Suddenly he was aware of a presence behind him, and his survival instincts took over. Sighing he put the dome back on the table and snapped his fingers…

  


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The disturbances stopped as suddenly as they had appeared. Kathryn looked up to find the sky clearing to reveal a deep shade of blue. All around them the snow dissipated until the air was clear … cold but clear.

  


'Voyager to away team please respond…'

  


Chakotay's voice bellowed into the sudden silence from all 5 commbadges. The Captain reached over and tapped her badge, relieved at the unexpected turn of events.

  


'Janeway here…'

  


'Captain … are you alright. We lost transporter lock on you, some kind of barrier.'

  


'Yes, we ran into it … literally!' She pulled herself to her feet, grimacing as pain shot up her arm.

  


'Damn!'

  


'Captain?'

  


'Nothing Chakotay … just a few aches and pains.' She was about to reach for a tricorder when the pain disappeared. She stared at her hand in amazement, sensation returning in a rush. Cautiously she stretched her hand out, wiggling her fingers as she did so. All worked perfectly. What the hell was going on here?

  


'Captain, you seem to be in some distress?' Tuvok was watching her intently, his eyes alert for any sign that might have been indicative of a head injury.

  


'It's nothing Tuvok … I fell a little heavily on my arm, thought I had broken it but it seems fine now.'

  


'Captain!' Harry's voice broke into her thoughts. 'I'm getting strong readings from the caves you spotted earlier, and the barrier seems to have dissipated.' He backed up his words by walking confidently forward, unhindered by any unseen force.

  


'We can confirm that Captain.' Chakotay scanned the screen once again before continuing. 'There is enough dilithium showing up to keep a certain chief engineer quiet for the next few months. However, given the fragile nature of the terrain I strongly recommend you return to Voyager.'

  


Kathryn had to smile at the emphasis he placed on the words 'strongly recommend'. Acknowledging his suggestion she relaxed as the world around her disintegrated to be replaced by the infinitely warmer atmosphere within Transporter room 1.

  


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It seemed like an eternity before she heard the reassuring sound of the doors to her quarters closing behind her. Images of a long hot bath had dominated her thinking from the moment she had materialised on the transporter pad but fate, and a certain first officer had conspired against her. Radiating concern he had all but carried her to sickbay where the Doctor was waiting for them. Fortunately the entire away team had survived their ordeal with surprising little damage, although the doctor wouldn't have been the doctor if he hadn't managed to get in a comment or two about her caffeine intake and eating habits.

  


The thought sent her in the direction of the replicator … fortunately she had just enough rations left to grant her wish for a steaming mug of extra strong coffee. Closing her eyes she drew the aroma deep into her lungs. Life always looked better over the rim of a cup of coffee.

  


It wasn't until later that she noticed the parcel sitting centre stage on her desk. A frown marred her features as she carefully turned the beautifully wrapped object in her hands. It took a quick calculation to reassure her that she hadn't forgotten yet another birthday, which left only one possibility … Chakotay!

  


Curiosity got the better of her and she set about removing the outer layers of wrapping paper. Lifting the lid of the box she encountered yet more layers of tissue paper that had to be coaxed into revealing their secret. A delighted gasp escaped her lips as she lifted the delicate glass dome out of the box. Memories of childhood flooded back … of the snow dome that had occupied pride of place on her grandmother's dressing table for as long as she could remember. The child in her couldn't resist giving it a gentle shake. Standing in her darkened quarters sipping coffee and watching the snow fall she felt a strange peace descend on her.

  


It wasn't until the last of the flakes had settled that she noticed the figures. A group of five clad in what looked suspiciously like starfleet issue snowsuits were sprawled across the ground while a sixth figure stood off to the side…waving at her.

  


Swearing softly, all thought of peace forgotten she turned the dome over, noticing for the first time the label attached to the bottom.

  


'Made in the Continuum … a work of superior quality.'

  


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Her scream of fury sliced through the wall that separated his quarters with the efficiency of a hot knife through butter. Dropping his medicine bundle on the floor he reached over and slapped his commbadge.

  


'Chakotay to Captain Janeway … Kathryn … are you alright?'

  


'Fine Chakotay, just fine.' She sounded anything but fine … in fact she sounded like she wanted to tear someone limb from limb, he just hoped it wasn't him.

  


'Kathryn … talk to me … what's wrong?'

  


'Chakotay…'

  


'Yes?'

  


'Pick a letter between P and R!'

  


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The End

  
  


Thanks for sticking it out to the bitter end. This marks my first foray into the world of fanfiction … if you have any comments I would love to hear them. 


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